PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Brayden Schenn made the save of the game forthe Philadelphia Flyers. No goalie pads necessary, just purehustle.

Schenn's quick swipe at a free puck just before it crossed theline for the tying goal late in the third period was enough tohelp the Flyers snap a three-game losing streak and beat theBuffalo Sabres 3-2 on Sunday night.

Claude Giroux, Simon Gagne and Max Talbot all scored and IlyaBryzgalov stopped 18 shots for the Flyers (12-14-1), who arestill on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff race.

"We had confidence in our play and were positive on the benchand the room, so we had fun," Giroux said. "We need to beconfident in what we do out there."

Trailing by a goal with 5:40 left, Cody Hodgson's shot slippedpast Bryzgalov, positioned at the top of the crease. The puckinched its way toward the line when Schenn swooped in with asplit-second lunge with his stick and cleared it for the save.Back on the bench, Schenn simply shrugged at the play.

Without it, the Flyers might have been in a deeper hole thanthey already are.

"I turned around to play defense and the shot deflected," Schennsaid. "I don't know how close it was to the goal line, but tohelp Bryz out when I can is always a good feeling."

The win kept the Flyers in striking distance for a playoff spot.They are ahead of the Sabres, who are buried in last place inthe Northeast Division and have lost four straight. Brian Flynnand Jochen Hecht scored for Buffalo.

With both teams struggling, tempers were short. Buffalo's MikeWeber slugged it out with Wayne Simmonds, and Sabres centerSteve Ott threw a punch at Kimmo Timonen.

Hecht scored early in the third to make it 3-2 and give theSabres some life. But Schenn followed with the save.

The Flyers will take the stops however they come. They neededthis one a day after a 3-0 loss at Boston. The Flyers held aclosed-door team meeting after the game.

"It doesn't take much to understand what's going on," Gagnesaid. "You look at the standings, and I think everyone came tothe locker room today and looked at where we were at and howmany games we have left. I'm not good at math but if you look atit we have to win games right now."

Philadelphia was coming off a 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh onThursday, going scoreless in the final two periods and blowing a4-1 lead. The drought reached five periods on Saturday.

There was no danger of a slump against the Sabres. Gagne scoredhis second goal since he was reacquired from Los Angeles on aslow trickler past Ryan Miller on the power play. Talbot scoredPhiladelphia's first short-handed goal of the season minuteslater for a 2-0 lead.

Flynn punched in the rebound to make it 2-1 midway through thefirst.

Then they rumbled.

Simmonds took out Tyler Ennis and followed it with a fightagainst Weber. Simmonds connected with three straight rights tothe side of the face and easily won that fight as the crowdroared in appreciation. Weber was hit with a misconduct. Ennisdidn't return.

Ott threw a punch at Timonen to end the first. Hartnell went upto Ott, and the two jawed at each other as they left the ice toend the period.

Giroux made Buffalo pay when he scored only 17 seconds into thethird for Philadelphia's second power-play goal and a 3-1 lead.

"We've got to be ready to go," Sabres coach Ron Ralston said."We didn't have enough urgency or desperation off the start. Wekind of got a little back as the game went on."

The Flyers fumbled the puck at the blue line, and Hechtcapitalized with a short-handed goal to make it 3-2. It was justtoo late.

Each team had more hits than goals from there. Buffalo forwardNathan Gerbe tried to rough up Giroux along the back boards withhits to the back and head. Luke Schenn stood up for Giroux andsent Gerbe into the boards.

The Flyers showed they aren't about to back down as they jostlefor a playoff spot.

"We talked about coming out here tonight and actually playingwith an edge," Talbot said. "We're finishing our checks a bitmore. We're a dangerous team when we skate, play physical andhave two guys on the forecheck."

NOTES: The Flyers will play three games over the next 13 days.... The Flyers have already played six sets of back-to-backgames this season. ... The Sabres are 3-4-1 since they firedcoach Lindy Ruff. ... Only Florida has fewer points in theEastern Conference.

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